Playtime
by LuckO'theIrish95
Summary: What happens when Gwizdo and Zoria get shoe-horned into babysitting Zaza for the day? Will chaos ensue? Romance, perhaps? Emotions will rise, and tempers will flare, but at the end of it all, it's all just a simple child's game. One-shot. Rated T for tame swears and fluffiness...


**A/N: So in a desperate attempt to get the creative juices flowing (in order to finish the next chapter of my other fanfic) I decided to write this little one-shot of Gwizdo and Zoria. Animated series/movie-verse-ish thingy... Does anyone even write for this fandom anymore? Let alone this particular couple, which happens to be my favourite? Well, I'm about to change that….**

**Oh and I apologize beforeheand if there is any OOC-ness, but I had to get this written before it escaped my mind... teehee...**

**I don't own anything, yada yada yada, let's get to the fic already!**

**Oh yeah, and remember to enjoy :)**

Gwizdo sat slouched over in a chair at the grand dining table of Jennyline's Inn. A note was folded neatly in front of him, each crease concealing the terror of his next assignment.

"Jumping Jimbobs! Of all the times that woman has to give me a job…. Why'd it have to be somethin' like this?" He grumbled to himself through his Jersey accent as he crumpled the note up into a ball and chucked it across the room. He felt no desire to read it, as his partner, Lian Chu, had already debriefed him.

"_Since Jennyline needs me to accompany her to make a delivery, I'm afraid you will have to stay and watch over Zaza."_

"_Whadda ya mean I gotta stay and babysit the brat? That ain't fair! I better be getting' paid good for this…"_

"_Uhh, Gwizdo... *whispering*"_

"_W-wait what? NO PAY? That tears it, I ain't doing it."_

Gwizdo pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Rrrr… I didn't sign up for this…"

"Hey Gwizzy!" Suddenly, a little girl came bounding down the steps, a spring in her demeanor, and a twinkle in her little, emerald eye. Gwizdo cringed at the sight of such mirth on a day like today.

"Don't call me that. Now listen here, squirt. You're gonna listen to whatever I say, got it?"

"Haha, nope! You aren't in charge." She said cheerily.

Gwizdo's face scrunched into a look of further disdain. "And why, pray tell, might that be?"

"Cuz... You'll see." Zaza just kept smiling away- obviously it didn't bother her that Gwizdo's face had become swollen with anger.

And as if on cue, another girl made her way down the stairs, this time more slowly and clumsily than her younger sister.

"Z-Zoria? What're you doin' here?" Gwizdo was, for lack of a better word, dumbfounded and slightly embarrassed by the fact that his old friend and dragon-hunting rival was standing before him. He subconsciously tugged at his clothing in an attempt to straighten out the wrinkles.

Zoria, however, looked even worse for ware. Her strawberry blond locks were normally held in place by two ponytails, but this morning, her hair was in a state of disarray, like she had been awoken by Zaza's incessant giggling and prancing.

"Hm? Oh, Gwizdo? I didn't know you were here, either. I thought Mom was going to make me babysit Zaza for the day."

Gwizdo shook off what he could only assume was the feeling of surprise- even though he felt a little bit more anxious than shocked- and shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, seein' as you're here and all, guess I don't hafta do it. Kay well, bye, Zoe. See ya around—"

But just before he could make it out the door to freedom, Zaza grabbed his sleeve and pleaded hastily. "Don't go! I wanna play with you!"

This time, it was Zoria who shrugged; trying to hide the mischievous smirk that had begun to creep into her soft features. Gwizdo rolled his eyes, and attempted to pull away from the small child, proving it to be futile.

"You're persistent, aren'tcha, kid?" He looked down at Zaza, then up at Zoria, who was now covering her mouth and stifling fits of laughter at the display. Finally, after five minutes of watching her sister struggle to keep Gwizdo in the room, she intervened.

"Why don't you hang out with us for the day? No contracts equals no work, which also equals good quality time together. What do you say, Gwizzy?"

Gwizdo, despite his efforts, blushed at the mention of his not-so-manly nickname. This only made Zoria laugh harder, which in turn, cause him to stick out his lower lip in a pout and turn even redder.

"Yeah, Gwizzy! C'mon!" Zaza danced circles around him, waving her arms and reflecting Zoria's old childhood habits more than Gwizdo liked to admit. And there was something about the way Zoria mockingly gazed at him with a puppy-dog face that he couldn't say no to. Maybe it was the way her sapphire eyes gleamed as they widened. Gwizdo tried not to think about how she made his insides squirm.

"Guuh, fine. But you are so gonna owe me for this. Money, preferably."

"Sure thing." Zoria winked. Gwizdo felt the butterflies again. What was it with those darn butterflies? Always trying to mess with his head and make him feel dizzy. And he only felt them when Zoria was around. It was insanity at its finest.

"Okay, Zaza, what game would you like to play?" The older sister reached down and ran her fingers through the little one's brunette hair, which had also been removed from ponytails.

"Hmm, I know! We can play house."

Zoria and Gwizdo looked at each other questioningly. "What's that?" They said in unison. Neither of them had any idea what the girl meant by "house," but it was a game that Gwizdo had no intention of taking part in if it involved actually building a house.

"It's when we pretend to be a family and cook and do other stuff that families do. But like, the pretend kinda family. Okay, so Zoria, you can be the daddy, cuz you're strong and tall and you fight good. Gwizdo can be mommy cuz he's small and has a girly voice, and I'll be—"

"W-w-wait, huh? Nuh, uh, noooo way, short stuff. There is not a single thing you can do to make me act all girly. No dice." Gwizdo backed away from the scene, shaking his head furiously in protest.

Zoria spoke up. "I was fine being the dad… but I can be the mom if it makes you feel better."

"Does it look like I care? Sheesh!" Gwizdo folded his arms over and turned away from the girls, who were now giggling and whispering to each other. He could have sworn he heard the words 'put a dress on him.'

"Please?"

Unfortunately, Gwizdo was still being defiant.

"Pleeease, Gwizzy? You just gotta be the mom, or you'll ruin the whole game!" Tears were staining the brim of the little girl's eyes as she clung to Zoria's arm. Zoria's lips were squeezed shut, expressing her sympathy for the younger child, who was now ready to erupt with sobs.

"Gee, when Mom gets back, she's gonna wonder why Zazzy's sad. I guess I'll have to tell her what you did…" Zoria's eyes glanced at the floor, as she inwardly hoped that blackmail was the best solution.

And Gwizdo knew that being at the receiving end of one of Jennyline's livid lectures was a fate worse than death. There was no other choice rather than to comply.

"That's better. Now, who are you gong to be again, Zaza?" Zoria turned to her sister, averting Gwizdo's dagger-like glare.

"Oh yeah, Okay well I'm gonna be the baby. And you guys gotta take care of me and cook me stuff. We can pretend with Mommy's pots and pans."

"Sounds simple enough." Gwizdo sighed. At least he wouldn't have to wear the dress. God knows what kinds of horrid taunting he would have to endure if so, especially from Zoria, who no matter what would gain a strange pleasure from tormenting him.

"Oh, oh, oh! And you guys are mom and dad, so you gotta kiss and stuff, just like mommies and daddies do."

Gwizdo's eyes immediately widened. Did she just say… k-kiss Zoria? All at once, he could feel his face flushing and his heartbeat increasing with the mere thought of it.

Zoria raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word even though secretly, she too, had a quickened heartbeat at the mentioned action.

Zaza wondered briefly what all the silence was about, but ignored it as she continued to set up the play scene. Apparently, it was a "work day" and Zoria was about to arrive home from slaying dragons. Due to Zaza's vivid imagination, it was also "bring your kid to work day, " and all the dragons were barstools. Even Hector got in on the madness, chasing Zaza around until he couldn't keep up any longer. That kid had spunk, and plenty to spare. Everyone seemed to be having a blast, save for Gwizdo, who found himself slumping over a few pots that were strewn out haphazardly on the floor. He was "cooking."

"Honey, I'm home!" Zoria boomed dramatically, stepping cautiously over the pillows and rolled-up blankets that were supposed to represent the walls of the "house."

Gwizdo mumbled a barely audible response to which Zaza glared at him from across the room. She wanted her game to be filled with action, not apathy, but Gwizdo wasn't having any of it. He regretted agreeing to this circus of a game in the first place.

"What was that, sweetheart? I can't hear you over that depressing mumbling sound." Zoria beamed at him, but with just that tiniest bit of sarcasm that made Gwizdo so enraged.

"I saaaid, hello." He replied bitterly.

Zoria sat cross-legged beside him, reached behind her and pulled one of Jennyline's aprons out from under a pot.

"You forgot to put this on, dearest…" She leaned closer to him, apron in hand, and whispered the next line in his ear. "You can't expect to be a cook without an apron on, love." She giggled as his face turned a brighter shade of tomato each time she referred to him with a pet name.

"Wouldya quit sayin' that junk? Who'dya think you are anyways?" He couldn't help but raise his voice even though it quivered more and more as she leaned closer and closer in. He almost thought for a minute she was going to kiss him… _for real_. He wasn't ready for that, no way, no how! Quickly, he tried to fill the nervous void with words. "Oh and by the way, I'm not wearin' that thing."

"I'm just trying to play the game, here. Listen, the faster we play along, the faster Zaza will get bored of this and want to do something else. Just tough it out."

"Hey! I am plenty tough! That's why I don't wanna be wearin' that stinkin' frilly apron! And your point, though seemingly valid, is completely null and void seein' as this kid IS COMPLETELY NUTS."

"That's my sister, okay?"

"Gee I couldn't tell."

"You don't have to be such a jerk."

"Same goes to you, girlie! I should have just left you here to play this stupid game with your stupid sister, and not have you lecture me and act well… stupid!"

"You didn't have to stay, you know. You could have broken a little girl's heart and left, but you didn't. And now you're complaining?" Zoria's blissful attitude had turned sour from the bickering. She never did enjoy arguing with him, even though she liked to tease relentlessly. "I-I'm sorry. But one of us has to swallow our pride here."

Gwizdo remained motionless, gawking at Zoria's sudden outburst. She was always fiery and filled with passion, but it was just a game. A silly game that Zaza probably wouldn't even remember in a day or two. So what was this girl getting her knickers in a knot for?

"Calm down, geez, Zo… it's just a game." But that only seemed to make matters worse. Her eyes were laden with tears, and she sniffed and turned her head away so he wouldn't see her emotions.

"I know. It's just a game. But… all I remember is how much I wanted you to play with me. Back, you know, when I was small. And you used to get aggravated with me all the time. I guess I just wanted to spend a day with you where we weren't yelling or fighting for once." She sniffled again and wiped away some stray tears. "I've always wanted to just… be around you when you're actually being… nice." Her words became muffled by her hands as she cupped her face in them. It wasn't natural for a young adult to cry over such petty things, but she was so fed up with getting hurt by Gwizdo's harsh words that it didn't even matter.

Gwizdo sat next to her in silence, desperately wanting to run his fingers through her beautiful, loose hair, or maybe whisper gentle words of apology and appreciation into her ear. But he couldn't muster up even one ounce of courage, and it killed him. So he just sat there, twiddling his thumbs, looking solemn, and finally sighing deeply.

"Gimme that apron." He held out his hand and squeezed his eyes shut, so he didn't have to look at himself giving in.

Zoria's head soared up to meet Gwizdo's reluctant gesture, and she smiled as a few more tears ran down her cheeks.

"Here." She put it in his arms.

"You'd better pay me triple for this..."

After that, it didn't take long for him to slip the frilly, pink apron over his head. A look of disgust washed over his face, as if he could see himself in the article of clothing. "I look ridiculous, don't I?" He planted a firm palm against his forehead.

"Naw, I think you look cute in it." Zoria grinned at her accomplishment. It wasn't every day that Gwizdo listened to anyone, especially for something as potentially embarrassing as this. But she was in no position to gloat, after literally spilling her emotions all over the place for him to hear.

This weird turn was taking a bit of time for Gwizdo to register. Cute? His cheeks flushed pink for the fifteenth time that day, but he briskly ignored the feeling. Still… _cute_. She'd never called him cute before. No girl ever called him cute, especially one as pretty as…

Nope.

He was not going to admit it to himself. Not a chance, instead, he just chuckled bashfully and put one hand behind his head.

"Uhh, sure…"

What was coming over him? The blushing, the nervousness, and all those butterflies again! And now, he was getting giddy about a blunt comment. All day these feelings had been popping up left and right, and all because… of Zoria.

But Gwizdo couldn't deny, she made his heart race. Every single time she was here or there, near or far. Whenever a thought of her came up, he couldn't help it.

_If only Zoria knew… how I've loved her all along…_

Little did he know that she was gazing at him with the same thing in mind.

_If only Gwizdo knew… I've loved him all this time…_

Zoria swallowed the lump in her throat and walked right up to the shorter adult. She was going to tell him, before she stopped herself. She couldn't hold back on something that had lasted for so long, even if it just started out as only a teeny crush.

Gwizdo realized the abrupt movements of the girl in front of him. He began to inwardly panic, more than he ever did in the face of dragons and villains and Jennylines alike. But he had to tell her now, before he entirely lost his nerve.

"Umm… Gwizdo?" She spoke first, her face and ears turning scarlet.

"Yeah, Zo? What's up?" He started to sweat as her face got closer and closer to his. He could almost make out the detail in her curved lips, and how her ebony eyelashes fluttered so carelessly. She was more beautiful now than she was back then.

Zoria was so close to finally kissing the person whom she'd felt so strongly for throughout the years. Her lips nearly brushed his. She could hear his ragged panting, and how he was so clearly parched for air.

Gwizdo could barely contain his anticipation, but he was frozen in place, too scared to move or make a sound. Holycrap, holycrap, holycrap…. was she going to kiss him?

_I- I can't do it… _

Hurriedly, Zoria switched tactics at the last minute, planting a soft, wet kiss on the man's cheek. She immediately beat herself up for not doing what she sought out to do in the first place, but at least it was something.

He took it rather interestingly, eyes turning into saucers, face changing colour instantaneously, and beads of sweat running down his sweltering forehead. A glob of blood even ran out of his nose and down his lip, to which he quickly swiped away. It wasn't even a kiss on the lips, but it was darn close enough, and he secretly loved every second of it.

Then, all that could be heard was the shrill sound of little Zaza squealing, "YAY! !"

**End.**

**A/N: I decided not to write down their reactions to Zaza spotting the cute little display, 'cuz I want you guys to use your imaginations ;) Also, I don't think there's such a thing as a "grand dining table" but I wrote that at like 9 in the morning… don't judge! -_-''' Okay, anyways, hope you enjoyed, and hopefully I can get back on track with my DBZ fanfic.**

**Peace out ^^!**


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